Planting the Seed

The mild winter we’ve been experiencing across the U.S. has made the season fly by, and all of a sudden it’s time to think spring. No complaints here. As the cliché goes, spring gives way to rebirth; therefore, what better way to get into the spirit than to start brainstorming?

The world of industrial wastewater is alive with exciting updates. Engineers from Brown University, for example, announced they have developed a system to cleanly and efficiently remove trace heavy metals from water. This is uplifting news for combating this detrimental consequence of industrial processes—typically a costly and time-consuming battle. The method, dubbed the cyclic electrowinning/precipitation system, reportedly removes up to 99% of copper, cadmium and nickel, returning contaminated water to federally accepted standards.

Speaking of regulations, the U.S. EPA is busy with its study on the impact of the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources, and the drivers of that impact. President Obama proposed $14 million toward this study in his spending plan for 2013. Factoring in the increasing concern over water pollution as a whole, industrial operations are realizing the importance of keeping up with the times.

Innovative thinking will sow the seeds of future sustainable, responsible industrial wastewater management. This issue of iWWD highlights some noteworthy technologies, such as acoustic leak detection advancements and moving-bed biological reactors that improve wastewater treatment system performance. We also explore disinfection processes for milling applications.

As always, please feel free to e-mail your thoughts on new trends and other industrial topics on your mind; and tell us what you would like to see more of inside these pages.